Carriage speaking-tube



(No Model.) I

G. A. BEACH.

I CARRIAGE SPEAKING TUBE. No. 356,740. Patented Feb. 1, 1887.

Mfr; in

ZVzzfwesses 1-,, 167; for. A @W- $43 M N. PETERS. Phclz -Lnhogmphen Washinglcn. 0.1;.

Zz's JV/for ways.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE A. BEACH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CARRIAGE SPEAKING-TUBE I EBPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,740, dated February 1, 1887.

Application filed May 29, 1886.

Serial No. 203,633. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. BEACH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Carriage SpcakingTubes, of which the l'ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of the speaking-tubes employed in carriages and extending from the drivers seat. to the interior, whereby the occupant within the carriage is enabled to converse with the coachman without the latter dismounting or lowering a window for the purpose.

These speakingtubes have heretofore been provided with permanent exterior sections at the drivers seat, capable of being raised to his ear; but such sections, being always exposed, are liable to become damaged, are frequently in the way, and are unsightly. To remedy these objections I have conceived the present invention, which consists in providing the speaking-tube with a telescoping end section, preferably of flexible material. By the use of such an end section the driver is enabled to converse with the occupant of the carriage as readily as heretofore by simply pulling out the end section and putting the mouth-piece to his ear, and when he has received his driving orders he has only to push the movable section back into the main tube. No part of this device need be permanently exposed, except, possibly, the mouth-piece, and. that may be sunken, so as not to be visible from the side of the carriage. The same device-the movable telescoping end section-may also be used at the end of the tube within the carriage, so that the occupant of the backseat can give orders to the coachman as readily as the occupant of the front seat.

The accompanying drawings show at Figure l a carriage to which my invention has been applied, the side of the carriage being broken away to show the location of the speakingtube; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the speaking-tube.

In said drawings, A B represent the stationary part of the speaking-tube, one end, A, whereof extends to the drivers seat, while the end B terminates inside the carriage, preferably on the side. At the drivers end of this tube is inserted a sliding section, 0, provided with a mouth-piece and adapted to be drawn out until the collar (1 strikes the shoulder e at the extreme outer end of the tube. This sliding section is drawn out by the driver whenever he wishes to give or receive intelligence, and it extends when thus drawn to within easy distance of the ear of the seated driver. After it has been used the sliding section is allowed to slide back into the main tube, either by its own gravity or by the aid of a spring, .9, as indicated in Fig. 2. The broken lines in this figure show the movable section extended to its full length.

I may in some cases provide that end of the tube within the carriage with a similar sliding section, as shown in the drawings, and thus save the occupant, whether seated in front or rear, the necessity of moving from his seat to give directions.

The main tube may be made with a coupling, F, when constructed in more than one piece, and such coupling will afford a convenient point of attachment for the stationary end of the spring 8.

The tube is shown applied to an ordinary coach; but it may be used in coupes and other descriptions of closed carriages. The stationary tube may be exposed between the drivers seat and the body of the carriage, if the construction is such as to require it.

I hereby disclaim the devices shown and described in English Patent No. 3,865 of 1883, and in German Patent No. 32,867, dated December 10, 1884; nor do I make any claim to the device shown and described in United States Patent No. 333,044, of December 22, 1885. My invention does not consist in a speaking-tube having a telescoping mouthpiece section, and I make no claim to any such device.

My invention relates solely to carriage speaking-tubes; and its object is to provide a carria c with a speakingtube in such way or by such means that while the mouth-piece or bell shall at all times be conveniently accessible to the driver when in his seat, it shall at the same time not be exposed or project out in the'way, and thus be liable to injury and render the carriage more or less unsightly. To this end I provide the speaking-tube with a flexibletelescopicmouth-pieceseetionhavingabell or mouth-piece projecting axially at its end, said mouth-piece section extending; through a suitable hole or opening in the drivers seat and telescoping within the outer tube, so that the rim of said bell or mouth-piece projects above the surface of the drivers seat, as shown in the drawings, simply enough to enable the driver to conveniently catch hold of the same and raise it to his ear. By combining the speaking-tube,its telescoping mouth-piece section, and axial bell or mouth-piece in this way with the drivers seat of the carriage, the speaking-tube may be conveniently used, the bell being adapted to be raised to the ear or mouth of the driver, and at the same time it is concealed from view when not in use, and is COlllpletely protected from damage or injury.

I claim- 1. The combination of a carriage and the drivers seat thereof with a speakingtube ex tending from the drivers seat to the interior of the carriage, and provided with a telescoping drivers mouth-piece section adapted to telescope entirely within said speaking-tube and leave only the bell or mouth-piece exposed, said bell or mouth-piece projecting axially at the end of said mouth-piece section, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the carriage and the drivers seat thereof with a flexible speakingtube extending from and through the drivers seat to the interior of the carriage, and provided with a flexible telescoping drivers mouth-piece section adapted to telescope entirely within said speaking-tube and leave only the hell or mouth-piece exposed, said bell or mouth-piece projecting axially at the end of said mouth-piece section, substantially as specified.

8. The combination of the carriage and the drivers seat thereof with a flexible speakingtube extending from the drivers seat to the interior of the carriage, and provided with two flexible month-piece sections, one at each end, adapted to telescope entirely within said speaking-tube and leave only the bells or mouth-pieces exposed, and a spring or springs for contracting said mouthpiece sections, one of said bells or mouth-pieces projecting axially with its tubesection through the drivers seat, substantially as specified.

GEO. A. BEACH.

Witnesses:

EDW. S. EYABTS, II. M. DIUNDAY. 

